Genesis Health System has entered into a new strategic partnership with Kansas City-based Cerner Corporation to optimize and advance the patient care and enterprise management benefits of the health system’s already award-winning information technology solutions and services.

According to Genesis President and CEO Doug Cropper: "This new, more integrated partnership is a natural progression of our 15-year-old relationship with Cerner that has earned Genesis the distinction of being named the only provider in the Quad Cities region and the State of Iowa among the nation’s "Most Wired” health care systems each year for more than a decade.”

Specifically, the more integrated relationship with Cerner calls for the establishment of a "Value Creation Office.” This collaboration will help Genesis innovate and optimize care processes with Cerner, ensuring patients receive the best possible care and the organization earns a greater return on its technology investment. By increasing access to expert Cerner resources in Kansas City, the agreement will enhance Genesis’ ability to implement new Cerner applications, which includes application services, help desk operations and optimizing IT service delivery across the health system.

"Genesis entered into this relationship with Cerner due to the growing complexity and higher costs of maintaining these services on an ’in-house’, independent basis,” Cropper said. "Cerner is widely recognized as a health care IT industry leader, and this opportunity to partner ensures our future as a national leader in the use of these technologies to help meet our patients’ needs in the most efficient and effective way possible.”

obligation to balance the demands of our mission of ‘compassionate, quality health care services for all those in need’ with the growing number of regulatory requirements to improve the quality of care while lowering costs. These challenges have encouraged us to search for creative and innovative solutions that maximize efficiencies,” said Cropper. "This agreement with Cerner will enhance our ability to keep pace with change, manage costs and accelerate our position as the leading health care provider in the region.”

As part of the agreement, 43 Genesis IT employees will become Cerner associates, effective April 1, 2015. Cerner will transition these associates at their current compensation levels, including recognition of their length of service with Genesis, and provide additional training, resources and professional development. Cerner also provides a highly competitive benefits package.

Mike Nill, Cerner executive vice president and COO, said Cerner has seen Genesis as a "true partner” in advancing health and care in the Quad Cities for more than a decade. "We are very pleased and proud to strengthen our relationship with Genesis through this agreement to help ensure both organizations continue to create value together,” Nill said. "By working together right where care is being delivered, we can continue to empower organizations like Genesis to know, manage and engage better in the health of their communities.”

ABOUT CERNER: Cerner’s health information technologies connect people, information and systems at more than 14,000 facilities worldwide. Recognized for innovation, Cerner solutions assist clinicians in making care decisions and enable organizations to manage the health of populations. The company also offers an integrated clinical and financial system to help health care organizations manage revenue, as well as a wide range of services to support clients’ clinical, financial and operational needs. Cerner’s mission is to contribute to the improvement of health care delivery and the health of communities. Nasdaq: CERN. For more information about Cerner, visit cerner.com, read our blog at cerner.com/blog, connect with us on Twitter at twitter.com/cerner and on Facebook at facebook.com/cerner.

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